


The Runaway

by IGNiPOTENS72



Category: NoPixel
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Abuse, Past Drug Use, Past Relationship(s), Past-Addictions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 13:13:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18917737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IGNiPOTENS72/pseuds/IGNiPOTENS72
Summary: Raven has a history he's trying to escape, but Bobby isn't going to let Raven's demons push him away that easily.





	The Runaway

The apartment was quiet by the time Bobby got home from his shift, and he made his way through the dark apartment depositing his keys and coat in their designated places as he moved towards the bedroom. He assumed Raven was already be asleep, so Bobby quietly moved into the en suite and turned the light on to brush his teeth before passing out himself. He looked back towards the bed, expecting to see Raven curled on his side hugging Bobby’s pillow like usual, but the bed was empty. Bobby frowned, leaving the bathroom to inspect the room, but as the main light illuminated the bedroom, Bobby’s confusion sunk in deeper. 

He pulled out his phone, looking for a missed call or text, but saw nothing but the numbers 01:30 staring up at him. He unlocked his screen and pulled up Raven’s number, calling him as he walked back into the living room. 

“Hey Raven, it’s me, where are you?” Bobby asked, brows furrowing at what sounded like a bar in the background. 

“Don’ worry about it,” Raven slurred. 

“Are you drunk?” 

“No,” Raven lied. Bobby was about to call him out on the evident lie when Raven added, “Yes...sorry. ‘S not a good time. Don’ worry about me. Just go to bed. I’ll be home soon.” 

Worried about the last time Raven had driven home drunk, Bobby was already grabbing his keys and leaving the apartment. “Where are you?” Bobby insisted. “You clearly aren’t in a position to be driving right now.” 

“Please,” Raven begged. “Just...go to sleep, okay?” 

Bobby stopped in his tracks, slack-jawed and heart aching. Why did Raven sound so broken? What happened? It’d been at least six months since something like this had happened, and honestly it scared Bobby to think about what had triggered him this time. Bobby knew Raven had a drinking problem, even catching him on occasion drinking on the job, but it wasn’t usually this bad. 

“You know I can’t do that, Ravey. Just tell me where you are. I worry about you, you know that,” Bobby said softly, starting to move again towards his car and getting into it. 

It took awhile for Raven to answer, and Bobby was left listening to the sounds of the bar around his boyfriend, as well as the almost indistinguishable order Raven had placed for another shot. “Strawberry….there’s a bar off Strawberry Ave near Carson.” 

Why the hell was he down there, Bobby thought to himself, already backing out of the parking lot and onto the main road. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes…don’t do anything stupid, okay?” But the soft huff of laughter on the other end didn’t do anything to ease his fears. “Please, Raven. I don’t want to lose you over some gangbanger realizing who you are and taking you out.” 

“Don’t worry about me, Bobby. I’ll be just fine,” Raven placated, but his slurred speech did little to ease Bobby’s worry. He hung up the phone, tossing it onto the passenger seat. If he sped a little on the way to Strawberry, he wasn't going to say anything about it.  
___________

To say the place was dodgy would be an understatement. Bobby parked his car in what he assumed was the bar’s carpark and locked the doors twice before dipping inside. The bar was scarcely occupied, but it was loud from the music playing over the speakers and smelled of stale alcohol and cigarette smoke. In the far corner of the bar, Bobby spotted Raven hunched over a half-full tumbler of whiskey and a cigarette between his lips. Bobby approached him cautiously, clearing his throat when he was standing just out of arms-length from the other male. Raven looked up at him with bloodshot unfocused eyes. 

“You didn’t have to come, y’know,” Raven said dejectedly, but allowed himself to be hauled up by the shoulder. 

“Come on, Raven. We can talk in the car,” he said, tossing down a hundred dollar bill on the counter for the bartender. “Thanks,” he murmured, unsure if he really should be thanking the guy for supplying his boyfriend with what was clearly too much alcohol. 

He practically carried Raven to the car as the other male was too drunk to walk properly and eased him into the car before buckling him up and getting in himself. 

“Do you mind telling me why you’re out here in the dead of night getting drunk off your ass?” Bobby asked without any salt as he eased back onto Strawberry Ave and out of this godforsaken area. 

“Don’t wanna talk about it, really,” Raven muttered, pressing his forehead against the glass and staring out the window at the cars passing them. 

“Well I do, Raven. What the hell is going on? Last time you did this you--”

“This isn’t about you Bobby,” Raven said sharply, glaring at Bobby before his eyes glassed over, and he had to look away before his angry tears fell. 

“Then what’s it about?” Bobby asked softly, stopping at a red light and gently placing his hand on Raven’s thigh. “Please…just talk to me, babe.” 

Raven’s face scrunched up, a soft choked sob escaping his lips. He shook his head and turned away from Bobby. “Would’ve been easier if you just stayed home,” he whispered. “You’ too good for me,” he added, so quiet Bobby barely heard it. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means what it means. I don’t deserve someone as nice as you,” Raven said bitterly, wiping away the tears sliding down his cheek. 

“Says who? Owen? He’s a dick, okay? He doesn’t know what he’s --”

“My ex,” Raven snapped, shrugging off Bobby’s comforting hand. 

“What?” Bobby asked, taken aback not only by Raven’s tone, but also his words.

“My ex, Bobby. He was the one who made it very clear to me that I don’t deserve anyone or anything nice, okay?” Raven’s tone was more subdued now, but the anguish was still clear in the waiver of his voice. 

Bobby didn’t know how to process that, and it was clear from Raven’s closed off body language that Raven was done talking. Bobby swallowed thickly around the lump in his throat, nodding to himself before finishing the drive in silence. 

Once they were back inside the apartment, Bobby lead Raven to the bedroom and eased him onto the bed. He carefully started undressing him, ignoring Raven’s complaints throughout the whole process. 

“I’ll be right back,” Bobby murmured softly after he finished tucking Raven under the covers, and returned after a minute with a glass of water. “Drink this,” he said quietly, crouching in front of Raven’s side of the bed. He watched quietly as Raven drank the glass in one go and took the empty cup from him once he was done. He set the glass down on Raven’s nightstand and stood to get undressed himself. He slipped under the covers and slid over until he was right up against Raven’s back. He draped his arm over his warm chest and pulled Raven in closer, gently kissing his shoulder. 

“Bobby I--” 

“Shh, it’s okay, Raven. Just get some rest.” 

Raven shifted onto his back, forcing Bobby to make room for him, and pushed Bobby gently onto his back so he could curl up against Bobby’s chest. His hand rested over Bobby’s heart, feeling the strong pulse of it under his fingertips. He felt tears blooming in his eyes again at how overwhelmed he felt. He pressed his face into Bobby’s shoulder, pressing in his body even closer. 

“Two years ago…” he murmured. “I was free of him two years ago today.”

“You don’t have to talk about it,” Bobby started, but stopped when he felt Raven shake his head. 

“I want to. You deserve to know what kind of man you’re with.” 

Raven was silent for a while, just letting the steady thrum of Bobby’s heartbeat and even breathing ease his own anxieties. He tried to think of the best way to phrase it, to make it seem less harsh than it really was, but had to remind himself that it was okay, that he could trust Bobby, that Bobby was different. 

“He was a childhood friend of mine, so after I got back from the war and moved here, we met up again. He was working for EMS at the time, so you know, he was pretty well off, and I was just starting on the police force. Things were honestly great at the beginning, so when he proposed I said yes. We had a mutual thing going, and sure it wasn’t perfect by any means, but it worked.” 

Raven took several stuttered breaths, trying to figure out just how to tell Bobby what really happened. What he would think of him when he explained everything. 

“Mutual thing?” Bobby asked quietly. 

“He uh...well I had...during the war I got injured, right? Shattered my leg in multiple places and had to have massive reconstructive surgery. Thing is, you’re limited on pain meds out there, so they gave me morphine...a lot of morphine.”

“Ah,” Bobby murmured. “So he was your supplier?” 

“Among other things, yeah. He was also a bit of a drunk. I mean we both were, but he was worse. Didn’t realize it most of the time because he kept me high all the time, but he used to beat the shit out of me. One time he even tried to claim domestic violence when I fought back.”

“Jesus,” Bobby muttered, rubbing his hand down Raven’s arm comfortingly. “You didn’t deserve that, you know that right?” 

“Most of the time, yeah...but sometimes he’s still there, you know? In the back of my head telling me that I don’t deserve to be happy, that any happiness I should’ve felt died with him.” 

Bobby eased Raven off his shoulder and turned towards him. He slid his arm under Raven’s head, cradling him in a gentle hug before pulling back just enough to look at him. “Raven, you deserve to be happy. I mean that,” he added, cutting off Raven’s protests. “Listen to me, babe. You deserve all the happiness in the world. You’re the most caring person I know at PD. You’re loyal, intelligent, and an inspiration to everyone who works there. God, I’m lucky that I get to come home everyday and know that you’ll be here, asking me how my day was with dinner ready on the table. You go above and beyond every damn day, and I’m so proud of you.” 

Bobby pressed a soft kiss to Raven’s lips, threading his fingers into Raven’s hair before pulling back to press his forehead against his. “I love you, Raven. Regardless of what happened in the past, or the type of man you think you are. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Raven felt his chest swell with emotion, a single tear trailed down his cheek, and for the first time in a while felt like everything was okay. That this was different. This is what it felt like to be loved, truly loved and happy. “Love you too, Smith,” Raven smiled, a soft sob escaping his lips as he pressed them to Bobby’s.


End file.
